When was the last time something inexplicable happened to you?
You could chalk it up to “luck” – whether good or bad – or you could take it as “a sign.”
I keep the Bible on my desk as a reminder to read it. I do this with many things. I keep vitamins on my kitchen counter. I keep dirty clothes right next to the washing machine. I keep “to do” sticky notes in my car.
The result? I often push the vitamins off to the side, the laundry piles up like an abstract sculpture, and the sticky notes get stuck under fast-food napkins. And the Bible? Sadly, I often forget to just pick it up and read it… because “I’m busy.”
That Bible caught my eye one evening as I was leaving the office. I stopped and thought, “I keep saying I’ll read it tomorrow, so before I leave, take 30 seconds, just pick it up, start flipping the pages, stop them with your finger, and read whatever scripture you’re pointing at.”
I started flipping the pages without looking, and without trying to target a certain book. I wasn’t aiming for the New Testament or Old Testament. I think I flipped for about two or three seconds before stopping the pages. I was pointing at Isaiah 40:31.
“but those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint.”
I couldn’t believe it. Not only is it a very popular verse, it’s also the exact same verse on the only picture that is hanging in my office.
What are the odds? I couldn’t do that again if I tried a thousand times. Of all the verses in the Bible that I would randomly select in that fashion, I picked the one that is displayed right in front of me. I took it as a sign – a “God moment” – as if He knew what I needed at that time.
I needed to be reminded that no matter what I’m struggling with, no matter what challenges are physically and mentally draining me, I just need to look up – figuratively and literally. That verse on my wall reminds me that I don’t have to rely on myself – that God carries us when we are exhausted. It is in Him where we find the strength to carry on, to overcome, to soar like eagles.
Much like prayer, reading the word of God is like a homecoming for the soul. We are meant to be in relationship with Him, to connect with Him. So, let’s be intentional, not random, about reading the Bible. If I tried flipping those pages again, I’d probably land on a genealogy. Then again… that might be a sign to reconnect with relatives.
– Ed Doney, Writer/Videographer
